In the related art, in a liquid ejection apparatus such as an inkjet recording apparatus, an inkjet recording head is equipped. In this inkjet recording head, a large number of nozzles that act to eject ink onto a recording paper and the like are arranged.
However, the ink which the inkjet recording head ejects, which contains an ink solvent, has various problems causing inferior printing due to the rise of ink viscosity caused by the evaporation of the ink solvent and ink solidification, and further, by dust deposition, and, still further, by bubble contamination.
To solve such problems, the inkjet recording apparatus is configured so as to perform flushing operation (For example, see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2001-191557, hereinafter referred to as JPA '557).
Namely, the inkjet recording apparatus is configured so as to provide a flushing portion in the portion where no recording paper is present, and for the inkjet recording head to eject ink to this region to prevent ink viscosity from rising.
Specifically, the inkjet recording head moves from a printing region where recording paper is placed to the flushing portion in case when flushing operation is required.
This movement is conducted by the moving of the carriage on which the inkjet recording head is mounted.
The apparatus is configured so that the inkjet recording head, after completion of flushing operation, immediately moves to the printing region for recording via the movement of the carriage.
FIG. 9 is a schematic explanatory drawing illustrating the relationship of a related art inkjet recording head 10 and a flushing portion 11. As shown in FIG. 9, between the inkjet recording head 10 and the flushing portion 11, a gap L is formed.
Thus, the ink ejected from the inkjet recording head 10 reaches the flushing portion 11 after elapse of a predetermined period.
In such operation, if the inkjet head 10 moves before the ejected ink reaches the flushing portion 11, the ink that failed in surely reaching the flushing portion 11 by following the change in air stream caused by this head movement scatters within the inkjet recording apparatus, acting as a source of mist formation.
Such mist has caused a trouble of, in addition to recording paper soiling, contaminating the inside and outside of the inkjet recording apparatus.
To solve such troubles, a configuration is proposed in which a fan arranged in the flushing box that conducts flushing collects the mist (For example, see JPA '557).
However, the configuration shown in JPA '557 has had a problem that since the configuration makes a bulky apparatus, it can be adopted only in a large-size inkjet recording apparatus.
Alternately, it is possible, without adopting such a configuration, to move the inkjet recording head after waiting for a sufficiently long period until the ink from the inkjet recording head 10 completely reaches the flushing portion 11.
However, when in such a manner the inkjet recording head 10 is moved to the printing region along after securing a sufficient waiting time, there arises another problem of deterioration of printing throughput.
Moreover, it is assumed that the period that the mist reaches the flushing portion 11 from the inkjet recording head 10 varies depending on various conditions. But there has been a problem that it is not clear under what condition the period varies.